Sunday, July 3, 2011

Day 28 - July 2, 2011 - Interior SD - Badlands National Park

I am so excited!!!  I finally have access to the internet!!!  It really is Sunday, July 3 but I am now posting activities from yesterday, July 2.  I was afraid that I was not going to be able to post anything for days because we have no phone service here at the campground, which means that my Verizon "5 spot" does not work either.  Now I could have gone across the street and up a hill but if I did that I might as well plan to spend the night in the jeep!!!  Anyway, free Wi-Fi is available at the campground but I have not been able to access it on my laptop.  Obviously, something was set in my computer that would not allow anything to connect except my Verizon "5-Spot"!  I don't know what I did (Roger, I wanted to call you because I know you would have figured it out  instantly) but I persevered (imagine that...) and DID IT!!!  Yeah, I am now in the Internet and may not close it out until we leave here! 

Now, back to yesterday (July 2).  What a great day!  We left Sioux Falls with plans to make several stops along the way to Badlands.  The weather was absolutely beautiful which thrilled us since we had a long drive ahead of us and a big day planned.

Now, what did we do???  I can't remember...thank God for pictures!!!  Excuse me while I pull them up!

OK...now I remember (I know it's sad...!) We went to the Corn Palace, Al's Oasis, and the 1880 Town before we got to Badlands National Park and the campground. I'm just going to take you along for the ride and try not to post too many pictures!  OK...I lied! One photographer in the family is a lot (that would be me!!!)  but you can just imagine how many pictures we both take (Glenn is a really good photographer...another hidden talent...and is almost as bad as I am about taking alot of pictures)!  The good news is that both of us are in pictures...even if it's pictures of us taking pictures! 

Leaving Sioux Falls, SD and on the road to Mitchell, SC and the world's only Corn Palace.  It was built in 1892 for early settlers to display their agricultural bounty on the building's exterior to prove the fertility of the soil and to attract immigrant farmers to settle in Mitchell.  Each fall a festival was planned to celebrate agriculture and productivity.  Each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grains.  The Corn Palace hosts a celebration each September as a grand finale to the harvest.  It is known as a "folk art wonder" around the world...and it is!

























Next stop...Al's Oasis, a landmark in Oacoma SD on the Missouri River!  From the outside it looks like a lot of little shops, but it's really only one large restaurant, one large gift shot, and a grocery store!




















As the road became less populated (and more monotonous) it was time for another stop...the 1880 Town, consisting of more than 30 authentically furnished buildings and memorabilia from Old West movies.  Dances with Wolves was one of our favorites!























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Kevin Costner is so "easy on the eyes"!
























































































Then the road got REALLY MONOTONOUS...and we, finally, arrived at Badlands National Park and the campground!  And it was SO WORTH IT!!!!!





A little shower...just enough to get bugs off the windshield!


The sky was so beautiful!


Sorry guys...no thongs, but I thought you might like the t-shirt!






Another stop at a scenic rest area to stretch our legs!














































It is so hard to believe the pictures that I am able to take through the windshield of the motor home while it is moving!  I love this camera!!!

We have arrived at the KOA campground in Interior, SD!  Love it!  Hard to believe it is sitting in the middle of the "badlands"!




The large dog run is right behind out campsite!  Perfect!!!  The "girls" love it and we do too because it's close, has doggie "poop" bags and a trash can right there!  Lots of room for them to run and they've even met some new friends!!!  Well, Lexie has...Katie and Kallie are much more particular about who they hang around with!








The laundry building is close too! And they even have a "take out" restaurant!






And this is the view of the campground from the dirt road across from the campground where I walked up the hill to try to get phone service!  I met a nice woman up there trying to do the same thing!!!  It worked and I was able to update our roaming capability!



It's late now but at least you know that we are alive and well (just temporarily without phone service while we are camping here)!  I will wait until tomorrow night (hopefully I will be able to connect to the campground's Internet again) to post today's activities.  Hint...the infamous Wall Drug Store, the Prairie Homestead, and some trails in Badlands National Park!  Then we leave Tuesday morning for Custer, SD. 

Happy July 4th!

God Bless America!






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